NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

6/19/2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES -T. Davina McClain has been named director of the Louisiana Scholars' College at Northwestern. McClain was an associate professor of classical studies and an advisor for nationally competitive awards at Loyola University of New Orleans.

McClain has been a member of Loyola's faculty since 1995 with areas of special interest in historiography, women's studies, Latin literature and the Greek novel. She also was on the faculty of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Indiana University where she received a master's and doctorate. McClain received her bachelor's degree at Trinity University.

"Northwestern is pleased to have someone with a national reputation like Dr. McClain to lead the Louisiana Scholars' College," said NSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Thomas Hanson. "Her experience and knowledge will help the Scholars' College continue to attract many of the state's brightest students and prepare them for graduate study or rewarding careers."

McClain has published more than three dozen articles, reviews and papers during her academic career. She has also frequently made presentations at workshops and has been successful in obtaining grants to enhance academic programs and attract recognized experts for lectures.

During the interview process, McClain became familiar with many of the strengths of the Scholars' College.

"Among the strengths of the Scholars' College are its setting--as an honors college within a larger university. The Scholars' College benefits from the larger academic conversation that is possible, even inevitable, in such a setting," she said. "Northwestern is a dynamic institution with the leadership to move the university forward. Scholars' College can both help with that and benefit from it. Second, its curriculum speaks to the need to understand the world, both in the past and in the present. Living in a global economy and an increasingly global political situation demands an understanding of other cultures and of one's own culture in order to improve communication. The humanities-based core curriculum of Scholars' College prepares students from any discipline to deal with what will be the global nature of their lives.

"Third is the individual nature of the education. Students in Scholars' College get a private university education for a state university tuition. For Northwestern and the State of Louisiana to put such a quality education in the financial reach of so many students is impressive."

As director, McClain plans to become involved in student recruitment to increase the enrollment in the Scholars' College. She also plans to help develop a university-wide program to help students prepare and apply for the nationally competitive scholarships, fellowships and internships.

The Scholars' College is Louisiana's designated four-year, selective admissions honors college. The mission of the Scholars' College is to provide a quality, customized education in the liberal arts and sciences to a diverse population of well qualified, highly motivated students by rethinking the traditional liberal arts curriculum and developing innovative approaches to honors education.

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